Ohio's jobless rate declined again last month to 4.8%. The new number is the latest sign that central Ohio's job market is turning in favor of workers. The tightening labor market helps job seekers but may put a brake on growth of some individual companies.

Ohio’s jobless rate declined again last month. It’s the latest sign that central Ohio’s job market is turning in favor of workers. The tightening labor market helps job seekers but may put a brake on growth of some individual companies.

Personal Economic Turnaround

21 year old Tori Lamont of Columbus came of age during the Great Recession. As a young adult trying to make it on her own.

“I was struggling paying rent, struggling every month,” says Lamont.

For a while, Lamont waited tables. Her personal budget depended on available hours and tips. She often ran short on cash. Several months ago she landed a full time job at SK Food Group near Rickenbacker Airport.

“And now, it’s a turnaround, a complete turnaround, I was at a crossroads, I needed a job,” adds Lamont.

SK Food Group makes sandwiches and frozen food items for Panini, Starbucks and other chains.
Incentives Attract Company To Central Ohio

In return for a 10 year 55% income tax abatement, company executives promised to create 250 new jobs. Company president Steve Sposari

“We’ll exceed that,” says Sposari. “That’s probably one of the bigger challenges that we’ve been speaking to is just making sure that we have enough employees to accommodate the business we have here in Columbus.”

The Columbus plant has been in operation about six months. It supplies customers mostly east of the Mississippi River. And Sposari says he needs more workers.

“Currently we employ over 375 individuals here at our Columbus plant. We believe that our actual employment number to achieve our production goal needs to be around 600,” says Sposari.

Labor Forces

The company will have to recruit more aggressively for those workers.
Ben Johnson at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says the labor force, those working and those looking for work, is getting smaller.

“Over the last 12 months the size of Ohio’s labor force shrank by 19,000,” says Johnson.

Johnson points to an increase in retirees and fewer young people entering the job market for the smaller labor pool.

Central Ohio’s unemployment rate is below 4 percent. CPA Robert Shenton at Plante Moran says that’s near full employment for the region.

“The increased demand for workers along with a shorter supply is putting pressure on wages. And so what I think we’re seeing is the natural effect of an increase in wages in order to attract and secure talent,” says Shenton.

So far, Sposari says SK Food Group has not raised its starting pay of $10.25 to attract more potential workers.

“I think it’s pretty robust actually with where we’re at right now as far as wages,” says Sposari.

More Aggressive Recruiting

Instead, Chief Operations officer Jay Erskin is turning to those who recently lost temporary holiday jobs.

“There was quite a bit of seasonal work that we would compete directly with so I think now that as we get into 2015 things will stabilize and it’ll be somewhat easier to locate high quality associates that we want to bring,” says Erskin.

Erskin says the job market was a surprise to company officials after they decided to locate in Columbus. He says there’s a “significant amount” of competition for new workers.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2015/01/23/central-ohio-job-market-tightens-puts-pressure-wages/feed/1ohio department of job and family services,SK Food Group,unemploymentOhio's jobless rate declined again last month to 4.8%. The new number is the latest sign that central Ohio's job market is turning in favor of workers. The tightening labor market helps job seekers but may put a brake on growth of some individual compa...Ohio's jobless rate declined again last month to 4.8%. The new number is the latest sign that central Ohio's job market is turning in favor of workers. The tightening labor market helps job seekers but may put a brake on growth of some individual companies.WOSU Newsno3:11Ohio Employers Seek First Time Job Candidateshttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/08/17/ohio-employers-seek-first-time-job-candidates/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/08/17/ohio-employers-seek-first-time-job-candidates/#commentsMon, 18 Aug 2014 00:39:10 +0000Tom Borgerdinghttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=76907

State and national jobless numbers are closely watched as economic indicators. The unemployment figures can also give useful clues for those seeking their first full-time job.

State and national jobless numbers are closely watched as economic indicators. The unemployment figures can also give useful clues for those seeking their first full-time job.

Last month, 323,000 Ohio adults were actively seeking work and not able to find a job. The figure includes recent high school and college graduates looking for that first job, or an entry -level job.

“First of all the availability of jobs is not terribly encouraging,” says Randy Olsen.

Olsen is an Ohio State University economist. He says Ohio and the U-S are experiencing what he calls a “mild” recovery from the Great Recession. But, the labor force, those working and those looking for work, remains smaller now than in 2007. Olsen adds current economic growth is too tepid to make employers hire more aggressively.

“One percent rate of growth in the economy or something close to that is not a growth rate that’s going to make a huge dent in the labor market,” says Olsen.

At the Department of Job and Family Services, spokesman Ben Johnson says 186,000 jobs are currently posted on the agency’s website. But, he says about a third of those jobs pay $30,000 dollars or less and, in most cases , a high school education is all that’s needed to apply.

“About 54-point-9 percent of all the jobs posted statewide required only a G-E-D or a high school diploma and about 49-point 7 per cent of the jobs posted in the Columbus region required only a G-E-D or high school diploma,” says Johnson.

Johnson adds that many of those available jobs are service-sector occupations.

“Truck drivers are one of the top three or five, retail salesperson is one of the top three of five. Front line retail supervisor is one of the top three of five. Retail, retail supervising and truck drivers in many cases probably only require a G-E-D or a high school diploma,” Johnson says.

Olsen views Ohio’s job market as instructive. While more jobs are being listed on job boards and classifieds in recent months, openings skew toward lower paying positions that require only a high school diploma. Its harder for recent college graduates to launch a career.

“A lot of the jobs that have sprung up have been in less well-paying occupations. The good jobs that I think new undergraduates would like to secure, the opportunities aren’t there like they were ten or more years ago,” says Olsen.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/08/17/ohio-employers-seek-first-time-job-candidates/feed/0ohio department of job and family services,Ohio State UniversityState and national jobless numbers are closely watched as economic indicators. The unemployment figures can also give useful clues for those seeking their first full-time job.State and national jobless numbers are closely watched as economic indicators. The unemployment figures can also give useful clues for those seeking their first full-time job.WOSU Newsno2:53Ohio Job Market Suffers Tech Disconnecthttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/03/03/ohio-job-market-suffers-tech-disconnect/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/03/03/ohio-job-market-suffers-tech-disconnect/#commentsMon, 03 Mar 2014 13:59:16 +0000Tom Borgerdinghttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=66953

Ohio's job market suffers from a kind of disconnect. A new report shows a technology gap between the needs of employers and the technological competence of workers.

Ohio’s job market suffers from a kind of disconnect. A new report shows a technology gap between the needs of employers and the technological competence of workers.

Before sunrise on a recent week-day, 31 year old Damian Harris of Columbus is out looking for a job. His current part-time job will soon end. So he’s looking for a fulltime job or a couple of part time jobs to string together. On this day Harris drove to a Labor Ready office to speed his search.

“Even if you don’t go online to fill out an application you can still, as long as you’re active, you can still find a job if you go out and fill out an application that way,” says Harris.

But looking for work offline is a longshot. Angela Terez of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says employers post thousands of jobs on its sponsored website.

“And on any given day at least 60,000 jobs are listed and you can search by key words or location or preferred salary. Lots of different search fields,” says Terez.

Harris says he has looked for jobs online but it’s not always possible to complete the application with his older home computer.

“It doesn’t work with the pop-ups with my computer. So, of course you would have to allow those to come through,” says Harris.

Harris’ struggles with technology are shared by millions of working age Ohioans. A report by the non-profit group, Connect Ohio, counts 2-point 7 million working age Ohioans who struggle with some computer-related tasks required by employers or government agencies. Stu Johnson is head of Connect Ohio.

“I remain disturbed by the facts. It’s always startling to me. You know, people will say you can’t tell me in this day and age that people don’t know how to use the computer they are all on the cellphone and texting,” says Johnson.

Connect Ohio advocates use of technology and high-speed internet
connection. It’s 4-point-3 million dollar operating budget is funded mostly by federal and state government grants or contracts. It’s report on technology claims nearly 40 percent of working age Ohioansâ€¦ages 18 to 64 lack critical computer know-how.

To further make his point. Johnson tells of a recent training session with a group of laid-off workers.

“We were part of the Ohio transition team for a recent factory lay-off and there were 700 displaced workers. 53% asked for paper applications for job benefits. 53% could not go online to get their job benefits,” says Johnson.

Johnson adds that gaps in digital literacy are not limited to displaced factory workers. As part of its contract services with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Connect Ohio has trained 45,000 Ohioans, including some doctors making the switch to electronic medical records.

]]>http://wosu.org/2012/news/2014/03/03/ohio-job-market-suffers-tech-disconnect/feed/1Connect Ohio,ohio department of job and family servicesOhio's job market suffers from a kind of disconnect. A new report shows a technology gap between the needs of employers and the technological competence of workers.Ohio's job market suffers from a kind of disconnect. A new report shows a technology gap between the needs of employers and the technological competence of workers.WOSU Newsno2:52Stiffer Penalties On The Way For Unemployment Fraudhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/10/08/stiffer-penalties-on-the-way-for-unemployment-fraud/
http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/10/08/stiffer-penalties-on-the-way-for-unemployment-fraud/#commentsTue, 08 Oct 2013 20:20:18 +0000Sam Hendrenhttp://wosu.org/2012/news/?p=59517

New penalties are set to take effect in Ohio later this month designed to discourage unemployment compensation fraud. The state believes that about $30 million was paid out to people in 2012 who were ineligible for benefits.

New penalties are set to take effect in Ohio later this month designed to discourage unemployment compensation fraud. The state believes that about $30 million was paid out to people in 2012 who were ineligible for benefits.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says $2.3 billion in unemployment compensation was distributed last year and that some $30 million was paid out improperly. In some cases, says spokesman Benjamin Johnson, money went to people whoâ€™d already returned to work.

â€œThe most common way that people defraud the program is, they return to work and they donâ€™t notify the State of Ohio. They continued filing claims and checked that they were not working when in fact they were,â€ Johnson says.

Under a federal mandate the Ohio legislature passed stiffer penalties that take effect October 21st. Most notably, Johnson says, is a 25 percent penalty.

â€œIn addition to repaying all money they received improperly and serving penalty weeks where they are suspended from the program, and possible criminal charges, they will also now have to pay an additional 25 percent penalty,â€ Johnson says.

In some cases federal indictments have resulted. Last December, The Justice Department identified ten people in or near Central Ohio who allegedly collected between $10,000 and $20,000 dollars in unemployment benefits.

Ohio's unemployment rate increased slightly in August. It now matches the national rate. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says the seasonally adjusted jobless rate in August was 7.3 percent.

Ohio’s unemployment rate increased slightly in August. It now matches the national rate.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says the seasonally adjusted jobless rate in August was 7.3 percent, up from 7.2 percent the previous month.

The state rate has varied only slightly throughout this year and had been hovering below the U.S. rate. The national rate dropped to 7.3 percent in August, the lowest since 2008, because more people stopped looking for work and were no longer counted as unemployed.

Ohio logged 419,000 unemployed workers in August, about 3,000 more than in July.

Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment decreased by 8,200 to just over 5.2 million for August. The biggest losses were in the leisure and hospitality sector and in educational and health services.

Ohio's unemployment rate for 19 to 24 year-olds dropped to 10.9% last year. But, that's still an improvement from 2010, during the height of the Great Recession, when nearly one out of every five young adults in Ohio was jobless.

Ohio’s unemployment rate for 18 to 24 year olds dropped to 10.9 percent last year. But, that’s still an improvement from 2010, during the height of the Great Recession, when nearly one out of every five young adults in Ohio was jobless. The drop indicates job prospects are getting better for those just starting their careers.

Its a weekday morning at the Ohio Union. 95 employers have set up booths in the ballroom. Many have job openings. Banks, pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms, media outlets, local school districts, manufacturers, all looking for new talent.

“Today we’re looking for electrical engineers,” said Aaron Valleroy.

Aaron Valleroy recruits for U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh. The manufacturer has returned to campus recruiting as it expands steel production in the region for the first time in a generation.

“We’re seeing the steel business pick back up. It’s doing well. We continue to see the business come back and grow. So, we’re very pleased.” Valleroy adds.

As Valleroy finishes the interview, eight applicants have lined up to submit resumes and discuss job prospects. This scene is common through-out the ballroom. Young adults, professionally dressed, carry resumes in folders. Erica Mangino is slightly anxious about landing a job. She’s been searching for permanent work for about a year and will graduate in May with a degree in marketing. She describes the job market for young adults as “still competitive.”

“I mean it’s better than it has been before but it’s still not as good as what we would hope it to be. It’s kind of hard to find a job. But, if you have the experience and the things that people are looking for, I think that realy stands out,” said Mangino.

Mangino says she worked part time for one of the companies at the job fair so she hopes that gives her an advantage when she applies for a fulltime job at the firm. Mike Popelas graduated in December with a degree in Economics. He echoes Mangino’s sentiments about the job market for his age group.

“It’s definitely tougher than I thought, yeah, there’s a lot more that goes into searching for the right job and getting an interview and getting hired. It’s a lot more post graduate work. You have to do your homework on the companies and know what you want to do. It’s tough but I didn’t think it would be easy coming in,” said Popelas.

But, Popelas and Mangino have better chances of finding work this year compared to several years ago. Catherine Hanneman of Coyote Logistics in Chicago, and Brian Lloyd of MTD Products manufacturing in Brunswick, Ohio are both actively looking for new employees.

“Yeah we are hiring. We have about 30 fulltime positions available right now and we do a lot of seasonal employees at both of our facilities here,” says Lloyd.

“We’re a non major specific so we’re not necessarily looking at their actual academics. We’re looking for the candidate. So we’re looking for highly motivated people, self driven, people who can multi-task and communicate,” said Hanneman.

Job seekers Kevin Baumann and Jessica Holes share the upbeat mood of the job fair. Both have certificates to teach high school science and they anticipate many school districts will be hiring for the start of fall classes. Both brought dozens of resumes.

“Very optimistic at this point. A lot of teachers are retiring this year and next year. So there is going to be a major change or influx of new teachers,” said Holes.

Bauman adds, “So any school district that’s here. So we’ve got Gahanna, Olentangy, Worthington, this I Can school, Southwestern, and Columbus, so all of them.”

Next to the school recruiters, several banks and insurance companies are accepting resumes for entry level sales and data positions.

While the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says the unemployment rate for Ohio’s young adults remains in double digits, the rate has dropped to levels not seen since the start of the Great Recession in 2008.

Correction: An earlier version of the story underestimated the number of employers represented at the job fair.

The latest state jobs report says Ohioâ€™s unemployment rate fell for a second straight month last month.

The report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services lists an October jobless rate of 6.9 percent, down from 7 percent in September. The report says the state added nearly 14,000 jobs last month, and about 10,000 people left unemployment rolls.

The report says service-providing industries added 16,000 jobs in October. Employment in professional and business services increased by about 7,300 workers, and government agencies added about 5,200 jobs.

Construction added about 300 jobs, while trade, transportation and utilities lost about 3,800 positions, and manufacturing shed about 2,200 jobs.

Ohioans who get food stamp benefits could see that aid shrink by about $50 a month next year, partly because of a change in how the government calculates utility expenses for recipients.

The Blade in Toledo reports 869,000 households are enrolled in the program for the state’s poorest residents. A spokesman for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services said it will send letters this month to notify those affected by the change.

Ohio tried to appeal the change, but the request was denied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Organizations that provide food assistance to those in need say the loss of $50 in aid could have a big effect on some families, and they’re bracing for higher demand for help as a result of the change.

After several months of steady but slight declines, Ohioâ€™s unemployment rate remainedÂ unchangedÂ in July.Â Â Â The stateâ€™s jobless rate stands atÂ 7.2 percent â€“ the same as it was in June.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services says OhioÂ Â gained aboutÂ 11,000 jobs last month.Â The biggest gains were in educational and health services while the biggest job loss occurred in government.

The number of unemployed workers in Ohio was 418,000, about 2,000 less than June.

Ohioâ€™s jobless rate still remains below the US rate of 8.3 percent and lower than Ohioâ€™s unemployment rate was last year.Â Last July Ohioâ€™s rate stood at 8.9 percent.